south sudan marked its independence with celebrations in the country's capital of juba. since 2003, foreign direct investment into both sudans reached more than $13 billion. the middle east accounts for a quarter of that amount with the investment in the construction, communication, energy and the farm sectors. qatar heeds the way with the projects. the uae, egypt and lebanon follow suit. with little infrastructure or government, south sudan will be looking for a lot of foreign investment from the middle east and elsewhere. >> reporter: as the flag rises, so do the expectations of its people. after decades of civil war and conflict, they're hoping this is the beginning of a better life. >> this coming year after the transition may well define the trajectory and health of the new country both in plig and economic terms. >> reporter: it's not just the far east. sending a high level delegation to the celebrations. in spite of their split with the arab north, the southern sudanese are lacking across the red sea to the middle east. ahead of the country's formal declaration of